Open letter to Carrie Lam
Paris, July 25, 2019
Madam chief executive,
Reporters Without Borders, an international organization defending freedom of information, is extremely alarmed by the current climate of violence against journalists in Hong Kong.
During the mass demonstrations over the past two months, police and pro-Beijing demonstrators have attacked journalists on numerous occasions. Violence culminated on Sunday last week at the Yuen Long MTR station when mobsters viciously attacked civilians, including journalists, while law enforcement looked the other way.
In a report published on July 7, the Hong Kong Journalists Association deplored “one of the worst years” for journalists since the handover and denounced “a deliberate policy” to restrict journalistic freedoms.
In the RSF World Press Freedom Index, Hong Kong’s ranking has plummeted from 18th in 2002 to 73rd this year.
We urge you to take immediate and proactive action in order to reverse this decline and ensure the full enforcement of freedom of the press, a right that is spelled out in the Basic Law and of which it is your duty as the chief executive to uphold.
We suggest focusing on five key points:
1. Unequivocally withdraw the extradition bill, which is widely feared to pose a major threat to journalists and their sources in Hong Kong.
2. Ensure that law enforcement refrain from any violence or coercion against journalists and protect them anytime their safety is threatened.
3. Ensure that those who call for, order, perpetrate or glorify violent acts against journalists are being prosecuted and punished; establish an independent commission to investigate brutality acts.
4. Enforce the highest level of transparency on public affairs for the media.
5. Give clear instructions to all members of the Hong Kong administration to support freedom of the press and facilitate the work of journalists by all means.
We are convinced that these five measures, if set up under your mandate, would contribute to reinforcing the trust between Hong Kong residents and the administration and strengthening the international prestige of Hong Kong.
Our association would be happy to put its expertise at your service so that your administration can get the quickest and most effective results implementing our proposals.
Please accept, Madam Chief Executive, the assurances of my highest consideration,
Christophe Deloire
Secretary-general,
Reporters Without Borders
Fake news and free speech
The article “Most say ‘fake news’ not free speech, poll shows” (July 20, page 3 ), serves to focus attention on one important aspect of a democratic society: citizens’ right to information. And it also emphasizes the absolute importance of the individual’s responsibility to verify where the information that they receive comes from.
Ours is a complicated world today. Anyone, anywhere, can present what they wish others to believe on multiple platforms that have the ability to reach and inform (or misinform) literally thousands.
The responsibility now falls on the shoulders of each and every one of us to verify the truthfulness of what we see or hear.
As a semi-retired college professor, I have cautioned my students for decades to not take what they read or hear in the media at face value: “If what you read or hear doesn’t ‘feel’ right, double-check it. Use other sources — other news media outlets, for example — to verify the truthfulness or accuracy of the information.”
I truly hope that citizens of all countries will ultimately take this advice to heart. Don’t just blissfully accept what your “favorite” broadcast or print medium says. Check it out!
Kirk Hazlett
Tampa, Florida
A gap appears to be emerging between Washington’s foreign policy elites and the broader American public on how the United States should respond to China’s rise. From my vantage working at a think tank in Washington, DC, and through regular travel around the United States, I increasingly experience two distinct discussions. This divergence — between America’s elite hawkishness and public caution — may become one of the least appreciated and most consequential external factors influencing Taiwan’s security environment in the years ahead. Within the American policy community, the dominant view of China has grown unmistakably tough. Many members of Congress, as
After declaring Iran’s military “gone,” US President Donald Trump appealed to the UK, France, Japan and South Korea — as well as China, Iran’s strategic partner — to send minesweepers and naval forces to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. When allies balked, the request turned into a warning: NATO would face “a very bad” future if it refused. The prevailing wisdom is that Trump faces a credibility problem: having spent years insulting allies, he finds they would not rally when he needs them. That is true, but superficial, as though a structural collapse could be caused by wounded feelings. Something
Former Taipei mayor and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) founding chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Thursday, making headlines across major media. However, another case linked to the TPP — the indictment of Chinese immigrant Xu Chunying (徐春鶯) for alleged violations of the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) on Tuesday — has also stirred up heated discussions. Born in Shanghai, Xu became a resident of Taiwan through marriage in 1993. Currently the director of the Taiwan New Immigrant Development Association, she was elected to serve as legislator-at-large for the TPP in 2023, but was later charged with involvement
Out of 64 participating universities in this year’s Stars Program — through which schools directly recommend their top students to universities for admission — only 19 filled their admissions quotas. There were 922 vacancies, down more than 200 from last year; top universities had 37 unfilled places, 40 fewer than last year. The original purpose of the Stars Program was to expand admissions to a wider range of students. However, certain departments at elite universities that failed to meet their admissions quotas are not improving. Vacancies at top universities are linked to students’ program preferences on their applications, but inappropriate admission
RSS